A tender survey of the early days of the Fire Island arts scene, this collection of photos was taken by the influential gay photographer George Daniell in the late 1940s....
A tender survey of the early days of the Fire Island arts scene, this collection of photos was taken by the influential gay photographer George Daniell in the late 1940s. Daniell is mostly known for his photographs of literary figures, artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, and actors and writers such as Tennessee Williams and Sophia Loren; as well as his work capturing the daily scenes of life and industry in the islands of the American northwest during the Great Depression. Young men, with dancers' physiques, are seen lying on the sand, lapped by the glittering ocean water. There are joyful scenes of men and women in various states of undress or costume on the shore as well as party scenes in the homes of Cherry Grove. Some images are likely test prints for more professional images such as multiple prints of shirtless man posed in front of a leafless tree with Chianti wine bottles placed at the ends of the branches. Another photograph shows a cinematic moment of a man looking forlornly into the distance while the water comes rushing onto the shore behind him. There is also a lovely portrait of Daniell himself, standing in his doorway, which is printed on photo-postcard paper. Many of the photos are landscape shots of the large cloudy skies meeting the open water on the horizon. These sun-soaked image are a compelling glimpse into a budding queer sanctuary; the first gay neighborhood in the U.S.
George Daniell was born May 4, 1911 in Yonkers, New York. He attended Yale University where he studied primarily drawing but also photography. Daniell lived a somewhat bohemian lifestyle, traveling Europe and working on his art, until he returned to New York to study at the Arts Student League in 1937. During this time, he began focusing on a career in photography, freelancing for Life and Time Magazine, and started documenting people on the Hudson River and Grand Manan Island during the Great Depression. After serving in WWII, his return to photography was marked by portraits of famous actors including Robert DeNiro and Audrey Hepburn; and also his extensive ten year collaboration with Georgia O’Keeffe. He bought a home on Fire Island and later lived in Trenton, Maine but regularly visited Europe throughout his life to take photographs of the post-war scene. Daniell continued to photograph and paint until a fatal stroke on September 14, 2002. George Daniell is remembered today as an respected gay artist, documentarian, and portraitist of the stars. His photographs are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery. His first solo exhibition was held at Mount Vernon Public Library in 1934 and his work has subsequently shown at several major art institutions since.